Community calendar for May 9

Directors sought for Workshop Players Theater's 2027-2028 season Workshop Players Theater in Amherst is seeking directors for its 2027-2028 season. The deadline to apply is July 31. Interested directors should submit four to five shows that they would like to direct. Include a description of each play and why you believe these particular pieces would be effective at Workshop, the longest-running theater-in-the-round in Ohio. Housed in a former one-room schoolhouse, the audience sits only inches from the performers, and there is limited backstage space. Large casts or set changes would be difficult to accommodate. Workshop does no more than one musical a year, and some seasons do not include a musical. The board is especially interested in Christmas plays and 'theatrical chestnuts' — in recent years, classics like "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Harvey" sold particularly well. Please do not submit highly controversial or absurdist pieces. Board members suggest potential directors submit a variety of plays and musicals to enhance the chance of being selected. Include a theatrical resume if you have not previously directed at the theater. Once the five directors are chosen, the play reading committee will read the 25-30 submitted plays and work to establish a balanced season, which will be approved by the board in November. Directors, like all positions at Workshop, are volunteers and are not paid. Submit applications to Pat Price, chair of the play reading committee, at: pprice203@gmail.com. Saturday, May 9 The Amherst Garden Club's annual Plant Sale will be 9 a.m. to noon in the Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave., Amherst. A great selection of perennials, hostas, herbs, grasses, bulbs, ground covers, and garden items will be available at great prices, $3 to $10. Cash only. Plants are grown and donated by club members and friends. Anyone with plants to donate to the sale should email amherstGC1934@gmail.com, or any club member, for further directions. The plant sale is the club's only fundraiser and proceeds are used to beautify public gardens throughout Amherst. The sale will be held rain or shine. Monday, May 11 - Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, will present archivist Kris Rizbusnitski at 7 p.m. This free program will be held online via Zoom and is open to the public. To receive the Zoom link for the meeting, email meetings@loraincoogs.org. - The Lorain County Rural Democrats will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Grafton School, 1111 Elm St., Grafton. The first half hour of the meeting is set aside for socializing, and the formal meeting begins at 7 p.m. All are welcome. Tuesday, May 12 - America 250 Documentaries Screening at the Oberlin Public Library - The Oberlin Heritage Center will screen America 250 documentaries it produced at the 6:30 p.m. at the Oberlin Library Community Room. These short videos, ranging from 15-25 minutes each, highlight significant contributions Oberlin has made to national 19th century social movements and demonstrate the power of individual voices and actions. Light refreshments will be provided by the Oberlin Public Library. - The South Lorain Library branch will discuss the benefits of exercise from 2-3 p.m. - The Alzheimer's Association will discuss common dementia-related behavior changes and other issues from 6-7 p.m. at the Avon Library branch. - Friends of the Domonkas Library general membership meeting from 6-7 p.m. - Friends of the Avon Library general meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. - From 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lorain High School, there will be an American Red Cross blood drive. Those who donate will receive a $20 Amazon gift card by email. See RedrossBlood.org/Amazon for details. - The Herrick Memorial Library will host a teen trivia night at 6 p.m. for those ages 11 to 17. Trivia will focus on the history of America during its 250 years. Adults may participate, too. Refreshments provided. Call the library before May 8 at 440-647-2120 to register. Wednesday, May 13 - Journey through 250 years of U.S. history as told by the music that marked some of the nation's most significant moments from noon to 1 p.m. at the Lorain Main Library. Presented by Eden Valley Enterprises. Bring a bag lunch; snacks and drinks are provided. - This hands-on program teaches participants the fundamentals of computer hardware by guiding them through the internal components of a desktop PC from 5-7 p.m. at the Lorain Main Library. - Join emcee and Avon's own WEWS Meteorologist Trent Magill at the North Coast Business Showcase, presented by the Avon Branch, the city of Avon and the North Coast Chamber of Commerce from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14 - The Visions Concern Support Group will meet at 11 a.m. at the Avon Lake Old Firehouse Community Center, 100 Avon Belden Road, for a presentation by Angela Sciara, a low vision specialist. She will present Hadley, a new organization to this area, that helps individuals with vision loss adapt and thrive through free, accessible online resources and programs. They provide over 500 workshops as well as emotional support.Call Gary for questions at 440-935-5906. - The Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club meets at 5 p.m. in Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon, with Donovan O'Neil, Ohio director for Americans for Prosperity, speaking on policy reforms. Also speaking is Ohio Senator Nathan Manning, a candidate for Ohio House 52nd District, and Brad Lacko, a candidate for Ohio House 53rd District. - Friends of the Columbia Library, Inc. Book Sale: Thursday, May 14; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, May 15; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The book sale is open to the public and sponsored by the Friends of the Columbia Library, Inc. Friday, May 15 - Friends of the Lorain Public Library, Inc. Book Sale at the Main Library: Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The book sale is open the public and sponsored by the Friends of the Lorain Public Library, Inc. - Music, movement activities and play will accompany nature-themed stories. Dress for the weather and bring a blanket. Weather permitting. This event takes place at Every Child's Playground: 36265 Detroit Road, Avon. - Maker-In-Residence, painter Maia Arabuli, will have open studio hours noon to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Library branch. Saturday, May 16 - Professional genealogist Deborah Abbott, will lead a beginner-friendly genealogy session at 11 a.m. at the Central Branch of Elyria Public Library, sharing practical strategies for starting and strengthening genealogical research. The program is free and open to the public, though advance registration is requested. To register, visit www.lchs.org/events. For information, contact the Lorain County Historical Society at 440-322-3341 or lchs@lchs.org - The Garden Club of North Ridgeville will have its yearly plant and bake sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Central Park Pavilion No. 1, 7565 Avon Belden Road, North Ridgeville. The perennial plants are dug from our own gardens, so they are already Ohio zone hardy, ready to plant and very reasonably priced. For further information about the plant sale, please call 440-365-8522 or email Terrilmar@hotmail.com. - The Avon Garden Club will be hosting its annual spring plant sale from 8 a.m. to noon at 36744 Detroit Road, Avon, adjacent to the Avon Little League Park. The club will be selling perennial plants from members' gardens, wooden herb and plant boxes, and baked goods. Cash or PayPal accepted. For more information, please visit our website: www.avonohiogardenclub.org - Celebrate the Lorain Main Library's 125th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Afterward, from 3 to 4 p.m., history author Kelly Boyer Sagert will give an in-depth background of the Main Library and the Lorain Public Library System. - Local author Emily Rozmus visits the North Ridgeville Library branch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss her latest book, the psychological thriller "The Fullington Road Monster." - Local Attorney Robert Cabrera will discuss advanced care and estate planning with a focus on protecting assets from 1 to 3 p.m. at the South Lorain Library branch. - Learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality in a supportive and educational setting at SAFEZone Training from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, 13406 W. Lake Rd., Vermilion. The session will explore important topics such as prejudice, assumptions, and privilege, while helping attendees develop a deeper awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. Participants will also gain practical tools to become more effective and informed allies. This training is part of Grace United Methodist Church's ongoing Diversity Series, leading up to Vermilion's first PRIDE celebration, PRIDE 2026, a family-friendly celebration planned for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 to honor all forms of diversity in the community. The SAFEZone training is free and open to the public but class size is limited. Advance registration is required and can be completed by visiting www.lgbtqloraincounty.org. This program is presented with support from the Community Foundation of Lorain County. For information or questions regarding SAFEZone training, call Megan Baechle at (440) 574-0393 or email director@lgbtqloraincounty.org. For information or questions on PRIDE 2026, call Jim Chapple at (440) 225-1547 or email chappjw@aol.com.